Flora spotted the notebook. Initially, she had no intention of opening it, but in the end, curiosity prevailed.
She tentatively turned the first page, intending to discover what sort of journal this was.
"Could this be Charlie's diary...? No, this is not Charlie's handwriting, it's Paul's!" Her eyes widened, surprised.
Being the mother of the two children, she could not possibly misidentify her children's handwriting. But it was a mystery why Paul's notebook ended up in his younger brother's possession.
Every line of slanting, carefully written script filled the pages, its content inevitably bringing tears to the reader's eyes.
"Day... month... year..., today is beautiful.
Grandma said that I am still too young to help mom.
When Charlie and I grow up, mom won't have to struggle like she does now."
"Day... month... year..., it's sunny.
Today, I met a very strange man, he looks a lot like Charlie.
Or is it that Charlie looks a lot like him? It's hard to figure out."
"So it turns out he is our father.
I am very happy, so is Charlie.
Finally, we are not orphans anymore.
We have a father and a mother, and we will live happily."
"Today, father took me to the hospital, it really hurts, it's very uncomfortable... Father's face didn't look good."
"It's almost time for the surgery, the doctor said I have bone marrow failure, and explained a lot of things.
I don't understand anything, I just know the surgery will hurt a lot.
I wish Charlie was here, he would surely understand what bone marrow failure means.
But why is dad also undergoing surgery like me? He isn't sick."
"I don't want to tell mom about this, and dad agreed to keep it a secret.
I guess I'm going to die, I just hope mom won't be sad..."
Flora's consciousness plunged into a seemingly endless darkness.
When she awoke, she found herself lying on a pristine white bed.
Beside her bed, three figures were seated.
Two women were her aunt Eirlys and her mother, and the man, with a vaguely familiar face, was the quiet gardener, whom she had met only once a few months ago.
"You're awake!" Seeing her daughter conscious, her mother let out a sigh of relief, her frail hand gently stroking Flora's messy bangs: "You had me so worried..."
Flora's brown eyes welled up with tears.
She looked up at her mother, then at the man, and after a long pause, she finally said: "Mom... he is... my father, right..." Her voice was husky as though she hadn't spoken for a long time.
"My girl... I am your father.
I apologize for only coming to see you now."
"At last, you've come to see me." Flora exhaled slowly, a gentle and profound smile on her lips, but the worry in her eyes was impossible to dissipate: "I'm okay... but what about Paul..." She remembered all too clearly what caused her to faint, it was the diary entries soaked with the pain and tears of her little girl.
Her mother took her hand, her eyes also brimming with tears: "Your father and I know everything.
We will figure it out together, Paul will be fine."
"You've been through so much.
There's no need to say anything more, I know everything.
Don't worry, with your father and mother here, we will never let you fight alone." Her father also said.
Despite it being their second meeting, and the first since learning the truth about their relationship, Flora didn't feel the slightest bit of estrangement towards the man in front of her.
The face she saw in the mirror every day was a perfect genetic blend of her father and mother, and somewhere in her physique were traces of him.
Perhaps blood ties truly possessed a miraculous power to bridge unimaginable gaps, that's why she felt so close and familiar to him.
She gave a small nod and said: "Can you two step outside for a bit? I want to talk to Aunt Eirlys." She wanted to discuss the condition of her little girl.
The two of them nodded and left, leaving only the two of them in the hospital room, one lying on the bed and the other seated next to it.
Aunt Eirlys looked at the young girl she considered her own daughter, quietly sharing her pain.
Such a delicate, petite girl, having to bear such a heavy burden, going through immense pain.
Flora lowered her head slightly, her voice filled with sorrow: "Aunt Eirlys, my mind is a mess right now.
I used to think that I was the one who had to sacrifice, the one who had to endure many hardships.
I always thought that Matthew was cold and heartless, even cruelly separating Paul from me.
But now I realize... he has always been hoping for another child, not because he likes children, but because... he wants to save our daughter.
He took the baby away from me, to get her treatment..."
A good part of her resentment towards Matthew was due to him preventing her from seeing their children.
But only today did she realize, he too was helpless.
He was the one who had to endure the most torment and pain.
And yet, she had blamed him.
"Overthinking will do you no good." Mrs. Eirlys gently held the fragile hand resting on the hospital bed: "Ruminating only leads to melancholy and torment, which does not serve any purpose. It is best to stay optimistic, to maintain high spirits, which will radiate positivity to those around and be beneficial for the little one in your belly."
Flora nodded.
She understood all that was said, it's just that she just learned of the situation and was still adjusting.
"Auntie, you're a doctor. Can you tell me how Paul's illness can be treated? Is there... any chance of recovery?"
"The recommended treatment for bone marrow failure is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, also known as a bone marrow transplant. However, the child had a transplant from Matthew, and afterwards, the condition became worse, which is likely due to a graft rejection..." Mrs. Eirlys contemplated for a moment before answering.
"Can I donate my marrow for the child?" Flora hastily asked, her eyes filled with hope: "And also his parents."
Mrs. Eirlys nodded: "Theoretically, yes. But if the first operation fails, the second will be even more challenging. The closer the blood relations, the higher the compatibility rate. As you are pregnant, you can't undergo this surgery." Mrs. Eirlys glanced at Flora's slightly protruding belly, she continued: "I want to remind you that the highest compatibility is stem cells from the umbilical cord of your unborn child."
However, Flora's child was not due for another three months. If they needed the umbilical cord now, it was almost impossible. Unless they performed a caesarean section.
Indeed, Mrs. Eirlys hesitated but bravely uttered her next words: "This method is perilous, but in my opinion, it holds the highest chance of success. It involves delivering your child prematurely, injecting the newborn with lung maturation drugs, and then incubating the baby in an incubator. The umbilical cord could then be used to save Paul. Of course, this carries great risk. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't advise this course of action."
Without this, Paul had little chance of survival, but this course would endanger the unborn child. Either way, she was forced to make a heart-wrenching decision.
Mrs. Eirlys sighed: "First, contact Matthew and Paul's doctor, seek their opinions before making any decision. Who knows, Paul's condition might not be as severe as we think. The child could hold on until your baby is born." Naturally, this would be the best scenario, but everyone knew the chances were slim.
"No matter what you decide, I will support you. If you choose to have the premature caesarean section, I will personally perform the operation and make all necessary preparations, striving to ensure both mother and child are safe." To reinforce her promise, she nodded: "As long as we prepare thoroughly, we will certainly succeed."
Flora contemplated for a moment.
In her brown eyes, determination slowly surfaced: "Alright, then I will put my trust in you." She called out: "Emma, help me contact his subordinates whom you still have contact with."
"There's no need to complicate matters." Before Emma could respond, her father spoke: "You are a Tremblay, my only daughter. Whatever you want to do, you don't need to rely on the Charles family. When you recover, I will assist you in handling this."
Flora, who had fainted from shock, soon regained her health. Immediately after her recovery, her father promptly introduced his daughter to his trusted associates, his close allies, and his loyal subordinates. His tone carried the gravitas of someone used to authority, contrasting his usual gentle demeanor with his daughter: "This is my daughter, Flora, my sole heiress. From today, her word carries as much weight as mine. Seeing her is equivalent to seeing me."
"It's a major incident, you're Paul's mother yet you're kept in the dark about your own child's condition. I don't care what Matthew's reasons or grievances were. All I know is he has no right to conceal this. Did he think he could cover up the sky with his hand? We can handle saving Paul, we don't need him." Looking at his son-in-law, the father-in-law's dissatisfaction was palpable.
Flora looked at the crowd before her, their faces obscured by their sheer numbers. She took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. She never imagined her father would publicly grant her such power before his associates. Yet, recalling his promise to utilize the Tremblay family's influence and assist her with the situation, his actions today were not unreasonable.
Her father carefully removed a necklace from a box and gingerly draped it around his daughter's neck.
His powerful voice echoed through the spacious room: "Has everyone heard clearly? From this day forth, my daughter holds the highest authority. Her words are my own!"
A response came immediately, but it was one of protest.
"Impossible, Boss." The man who stepped forward was a burly fellow, with a scruffy beard adorning his menacing face: "Boss, we've been through life and death together, scaled mountains and crossed seas for so many years. Now you suddenly introduce this little girl, who's barely out of diapers, and want her to rule over us. How can we accept that!" His words seemed to speak for others.
As he spoke, an intense silence filled the room. When he finished, whispers broke out amongst the crowd, echoing his sentiments.
Recognizing his growing support, the man puffed out his chest and pointed at Flora: "Whatever the Boss does, entrusting the Dragon Bone necklace to this milk-breathed child, we absolutely won't accept!"
"Not accepting... are you planning a revolt?" Flora replied quietly. She flicked her wrist.
Immediately, Emma emerged from the shadows, brandishing a pistol, the hammer cocked.